1 of 1- Repartee
- Key Master
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- From: Brooklyn
- Registered: 12-10-2015
- Posts: 683
Defect or Feature?
If you take a look at the beautiful two-tone Olympia SM-3 for sale at...
you will note the type sample is horizontally double-spaced. Particularly in the fifth photo.
Seller confirms machine is writing like this by itself. In my very minor travels I've discovered that SG-1's sometimes have a deliberate setting for this effect. I was hoping such a control may have been set here that the seller was not aware of, but I can't see any in the photos, nor do I know it was ever offered on the smaller machine.
That's rather a lot of money to gamble that this is a simple setting or fix (some will probably feel too much money even if the machine were working perfectly!). Has anybody seen such a thing before?
"Damn the torpedoes! Four bells, Captain Drayton".
- beak
- Key Master
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- From: Qld Australia
- Registered: 24-3-2013
- Posts: 912
Re: Defect or Feature?
Never heard of that feature on any SM, but that's not definitive. The keyboard looks normal to me - cannot see the required key (as in the SG1), so tend to suspect an escapement fault. Someone here may know better...
Sincerely,
beak.
- TypewriterGuy
- Typewriter Talk Vet
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- From: United States
- Registered: 24-4-2015
- Posts: 1,250
Re: Defect or Feature?
Could even be that the mainspring tension is too high..
Back from a long break.
Starting fresh with my favorite typer. A Royal Futura!
- Uwe
- Moderator
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- From: Toronto, Canada
- Registered: 12-3-2013
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Re: Defect or Feature?
To start, I'd insist on a type sample that is more than 6 letters. Two full lines of type, and without the space bar being used. This would hopefully (providing they type at a normal speed) demonstrate any escapement issues. As is, the spacing is consistent, which makes me suspect that either it was intentionally double spaced and the seller(s) didn't understand your concern, or that there are other possible - albeit very unlikely - reasons why. The typeface fitted to this machine is elite, and although thetypewriterman should confirm this, I think that in theory you could create a machine to type with such spacing just by modifying its escapement and carriage with parts from a pica model. And I don't see why it wouldn't be original, a custom order perhaps by someone who needed a such spacing.
The pronoun I has always been capitalized in the English language for more than 700 years.
- Repartee
- Key Master
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- From: Brooklyn
- Registered: 12-10-2015
- Posts: 683
Re: Defect or Feature?
Uwe wrote:
To start, I'd insist on a type sample that is more than 6 letters. Two full lines of type, and without the space bar being used. This would hopefully (providing they type at a normal speed) demonstrate any escapement issues. As is, the spacing is consistent, which makes me suspect that either it was intentionally double spaced and the seller(s) didn't understand your concern, or that there are other possible - albeit very unlikely - reasons why. The typeface fitted to this machine is elite, and although thetypewriterman should confirm this, I think that in theory you could create a machine to type with such spacing just by modifying its escapement and carriage with parts from a pica model.
A scale is visible, and while it does not seem to be exact it's much closer to 5 letters in 10 ticks of the scale than 8.3 letters in 10 ticks, which is what would happen if you printed letters at 10 cpi against a 12 cpi scale. The odd thing is there was an SG for sale recently with a similar sample where you clearly could see the special key depressed. You may be right the first time - it was intentionally double-spaced, because the seller saw the first listing and thought that was the convention, and didn't understand my concern. Maybe because I was careful to ask neutrally not giving a cue what I wanted to hear.
I will ask again as you suggest.
"Damn the torpedoes! Four bells, Captain Drayton".
- •
Thread Starter- thetypewriterman
- Key Master
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- From: Leiston, England
- Registered: 29-5-2013
- Posts: 925
Re: Defect or Feature?
I think that the machine is likely to be Elite or Continental Elite (compromise 11 characters per inch). Either the spacebar has been pressed between each character, or there is an escapement fault. If in doubt, leave it alone. It will almost certainly have an age-hardened platen which will cost you money (and heartache when you go to refit it after re-rubbering)
